One type of conventional wheel comprises a rim for receiving a tire at its radially outer side, wherein the rim comprises an outer rim flange, an outer rim seat, a frusto-conical plane inclined at an angle a relative to the rotational axis of the wheel of between 1° and 90°, an inner rim seat and an inner rim flange. A wheel hub is connected to the rim via a support element, wherein the support element is comprised of metal and wherein the rim is comprised of a fibre reinforced polymer. The support is connected with the rim through at least three connecting elements.
Such a vehicle wheel is described in WO-A-2006/097856. This publication describes a vehicle wheel having a rim made of carbon reinforced epoxy resin and a metal support element. The rim and support element are connected via numerous threaded bolts which extend through a frusto conical plane of the rim and are covered by the tire on one side and by the support element on its other side as shown in FIG. 3 of this publication.
Although the above problems can be resolved as explained a major disadvantage of the design of WO-A-2006/097856 remains. In use the support element can heat up to very high temperatures resulting for example from the heat generated by using the brakes or simply from exposing the wheel assembly to the sun in a hot climate, where it may reach a very high temperature. As a result temperatures variations of 100° C. or more for such a metal support element are not uncommon.
Because the materials of the support element and the rim are different the thermal expansion of the support element and rim will also be different. This can result in a high stress in the wheel assembly and ultimately to failure of the connection between rim and support element or the support elements itself or the wheel rim itself due to the increased stress and resulting fatigue over a period of otherwise normal use.